Genetic Control of Collective Behavior in Zebrafish.

Many animals, including humans, have evolved to live and move in groups. In humans, disrupted social interactions are a fundamental feature of many psychiatric disorders. However, we know little about how genes regulate social behavior.

αKlotho Regulates Age-Associated Vascular Calcification and Lifespan in Zebrafish.

The hormone αKlotho regulates lifespan in mice, as knockouts die early of what appears to be accelerated aging due to hyperphosphatemia and soft tissue calcification. In contrast, the overexpression of αKlotho increases lifespan. Given the severe mouse phenotype, we generated zebrafish mutants for αklotho as well as its binding partner fibroblast growth factor-23 (fgf23).

Mating Suppresses Alarm Response in Zebrafish.

Mating and flight from threats are innate behaviors that enhance species survival [1, 2]. Stimuli to these behaviors often are contemporaneous and conflicting [3, 4]. Both how such conflicts are resolved and where in the brain such decisions are made are poorly understood.

Abnormal Behavior of Zebrafish Mutant in Dopamine Transporter Is Rescued by Clozapine.

Dopamine transporter (SLC6A3) deficiency causes infantile Parkinson disease, for which there is no effective therapy. We have explored the effects of genetically deleting SLC6A3 in zebrafish. Unlike the wild-type, slc6a3-/- fish hover near the tank bottom, with a repetitive digging-like behavior.